Le Thoronet

                                          Thoronet abbaye

In that beautiful country with cork-oaks, olive-wood, near Lorgues,you'll find Thoronet abbaye and feel and imagine the life of the monks, when you visit the abbaye

The monks build this monastery between 1147 to 1160, it's a wonderfull masterpiece of provençal art. All together, they get a very simple life without meeting people. They woork and they pray even during their night. They prefer the loneliness, so they mustn't go away. Nothing can disturb their live in the abbaye. Nothing must disturb their prayers. So it's the monastic order "cistercien"

The monks build that church without pictures and statues. They wished that every things are simple and rudimentary. But the songs were very agreeable and very nice to hear in the church. When you'll visit you can ask to hear the "grégoriens" songs 

The cloister of the monastery is open in the garden. So every things are simple and poor. But the monks created sumptuous games of light  

This only room decorated is the assembly room. Each mornings, the monks sat and red the religious book all together.

Their vast bed-room isn't decorated too. 

he monks slept on a simple bed without heating. In winter, they put a blanket, without sheets. During the night, they stood up and prayed in the church. A stair separate the church from their bed-room

In that forest, the "cisterciens" monks found a source. So they imagined a ingenioussystem to get spring water.They washed one's face in that room without windows and doors

They made wine and olive oil, the resources of abbaye

A fire demolish the record office of the monastery (about XVIIs). The last monk is dead in the year 1789 and Prosper Mérimé, a writter, find this monastery in 1840

So he wanted to restore it during the year 1873 to 1907. Today, it's "la communauté de Bethéem" who live in Thoronet abbaye. They aren't "cisterciennes", but these religious show us this immense place of prayers and "cistercien" order in the ancient Provence

The visit of Thoronet abbaye is free all first sunday of the month